Latch relays utilizing permanent magnets to lock the relay in either of its two stable positions are well known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,941,130 and 3,621,419. The latter patent was an attempt to achieve a stronger latching force than could be obtained by earlier designs. This was done by positioning each end of the armature in a gap between the poles of a pair of permanent magnets. However, this design is difficult to implement in a relay where weight and space are at a premium, as in high performance relays used by the aerospace industry. Permanent magnets have also been used in a non-latching relay to hold the relay in the normally open position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,090 by the same inventor as the present application shows such a relay.